Yet another deadline has been set for the C.N.R. Rao underpass. The underpass, connecting Malleswaram and Yeshwantpur, was to be formally opened to traffic from November 15. However, Mayor B.S. Sathyanarayana conceded that the underpass inauguration may be postponed by a week.

Mr. Sathyanarayana told presspersons here recently that the underpass opening had to be postponed owing to the leave taken by labourers on account of Deepavali. “Most labourers on the site are north Indians. The work is progressing and in all probability, it will be opened by November 22,” he said and added that he has been monitoring the progress on a weekly basis.

Potholes

Mr. Sathyanarayana said he met Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and district in-charge and Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy to discuss asphalting of roads and filling potholes in the city. He said the Chief Minister would soon inaugurate the pothole filling machine that the civic body had procured recently. The machine that costs around Rs. 8 crore has been assembled in Peenya Industrial Area, where it will be first put to use.

He also said that the asphalting of arterial and sub-arterial roads would be taken up either this month-end or in the beginning of December. The asphalting will be taken up by the Karnataka Rural Infrastructure Development Ltd. and the government has assured of financial assistance. The BBMP has also constituted a sub-committee to crack the whip against property tax defaulters. The committee would also rope in around 50 students from civil engineering and architecture streams to take up verification of tax paid by commercial properties. These students will be from the various engineering colleges in the city, he added.